How the counts work
Words are sequences of letters, numbers, hyphens, and apostrophes separated by spaces or punctuation — so "state-of-the-art" counts as one word and "don't" isn't two. Sentences are split on terminal punctuation (. ! ? …), and paragraphs on blank lines. Reading time assumes 200 words per minute (typical silent reading); speaking time uses 130 wpm, the pace of comfortable presentation delivery.
Length targets that actually matter
| Context | Limit / sweet spot |
|---|---|
| X / Twitter post | 280 characters |
| Instagram caption (before 'more') | ~125 characters |
| Meta description (SEO) | ~150–160 characters |
| Title tag (SEO) | ~50–60 characters |
| College essay (Common App) | 650 words |
| IELTS Task 2 essay | 250+ words |
| Cover letter | 250–400 words |
| Blog post (SEO long-form) | 1,000–2,500 words |
| Novel | 70,000–120,000 words |
| 5-minute speech | ~650 words |
Words per page
The classic conversions: a double-spaced page in 12-pt Times New Roman holds about 250–275 words; single-spaced, around 500–550. A "5-page paper" is therefore roughly 1,250–1,375 words — worth knowing before the night it's due.
Writing tighter
When you're over a limit, cut in this order: filler adverbs (very, really, actually), redundant pairs ("each and every"), throat-clearing openers ("It is important to note that"), and prepositional chains ("in order to" → "to"). Most prose loses 10–15% this way with zero loss of meaning.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At a comfortable presentation pace of 130 words per minute, five minutes is about 650 words. Nervous speakers speed up — writing 600 and pausing deliberately usually lands better than writing 750.
Do numbers and symbols count as words?
Standalone numbers count ('42' is a word); bare punctuation doesn't. Hyphenated compounds count once, matching how word processors count. Different tools draw these lines slightly differently, which explains small count disagreements.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 4 double-spaced pages or 2 single-spaced pages in standard 12-pt formatting. Font, margins, and paragraph breaks swing this by 10–20%.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No — counting happens with JavaScript in your browser. The page works with the network disconnected, and reloading clears everything.
What counts as a character — do spaces count?
Both numbers are shown. Platform limits almost always count spaces (X's 280 includes them); 'characters without spaces' matters mainly for translation pricing and some academic limits.